Methods for providing serving network information and communications apparatuses utilizing the same

Abstract

A communications apparatus is provided. A processor is coupled to a subscriber identity card and a radio transceiver module. The subscriber identity card camps on a first cell operated in a first serving network having a first serving network identifier via the radio transceiver module. The processor embeds information regarding the first serving network identifier in a first signal and transmits the first signal to a peer communications apparatus via the radio transceiver module.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A communications apparatus, comprising:
 a processor, coupled to a subscriber identity card and a radio transceiver module, 
 wherein the subscriber identity card camps on a first cell operated in a first serving network having a first serving network identifier via the radio transceiver module, 
 wherein the processor embeds information regarding the first serving network identifier in a first signal and transmits the first signal to a peer communications apparatus via the radio transceiver module, 
 wherein the processor further receives a second signal via the radio transceiver module from the peer communications apparatus and decodes the second signal to obtain a second serving network identifier of a second serving network associated with the peer communications apparatus, and 
 wherein the processor further generates a first notification signal to notify a user of information regarding the second serving network, 
 wherein the second serving network identifier is a public land mobile network (PLMN) identifier or a serving home PLMN identifier of the second serving network, 
 wherein the processor further determines whether the second serving network identifier is identical to the first serving network identifier: 
 when the second serving network identifier is identical to the first serving network identifier, the processor further generates a second notification signal to notify a user that the second serving network and the first serving network are the same; 
 and when the second serving network identifier is not identical to the first serving network identifier, the processor further generates a third notification signal to notify a user that the second serving network and the first serving network are different; 
 wherein the first/second signal is an audio signal transmitted via a circuit switch or a packet switch connection and the information regarding the first/second serving network identifier is embedded as an audio watermark in the first/second signal. 
 
     
     
       2. The communications apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the processor further retrieves a third serving network identifier of a third serving network from a phonebook record, stored in a memory device of the communications apparatus, corresponding to the peer communications apparatus and generates a fourth notification signal to notify a user of information regarding the third serving network. 
     
     
       3. The communications apparatus as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the processor further determine whether the second serving network identifier is identical to the third serving network identifier stored in the phonebook record, and replaces the third serving network identifier stored in the phonebook record by the second serving network identifier when the second serving network identifier is not identical to the third serving network identifier. 
     
     
       4. A method for providing serving network information, comprising:
 embedding information regarding a first serving network identifier of a first serving network associated with a communications apparatus in a first signal and transmitting the first signal to a peer communications apparatus by a radio transceiver module of the communications apparatus; 
 receiving a second signal from the peer communications apparatus by the radio transceiver module of the communications apparatus; 
 decoding the second signal to obtain a second serving network identifier of a second serving network associated with the peer communications apparatus by a processor of the communications apparatus; and 
 notifying the user of information regarding the second serving network by the processor of the communications apparatus, 
 determining whether the first serving network identifier is identical to the second serving network identifier; and 
 wherein the second serving network identifier is a public land mobile network (PLMN) identifier or a serving home PLMN identifier of the second serving network, 
 when the second serving network identifier is identical to the first serving network identifier, generating a first notification signal to notify the user that the first serving network associated with the communications apparatus and the second serving network associated with the peer communications apparatus are the same; 
 when the second serving network identifier is not identical to the first serving network identifier, generating a second notification signal to notify the user that the first serving network and the second serving network are different; 
 and the first/second signal is an audio signal transmitted via a circuit switch or a packet switch connection and the information regarding the first/second serving network identifier is embedded as an audio watermark in the first/second signal. 
 
     
     
       5. The method as claimed in  claim 4 , further comprising:
 retrieving a third serving network identifier of a third serving network from a phonebook record, stored in a memory device of the communications apparatus, corresponding to the peer communications apparatus; 
 determining whether the second serving network identifier is identical to the third serving network identifier stored in the phonebook record; and 
 replacing the third serving network identifier stored in the phonebook record by the second serving network identifier when the second serving network identifier is not identical to the third serving network identifier.